[size=+1]Cyber alerts are phishing magnet, says Senator[/size]
By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco
Published Thursday 29th January 2004 22:12 GMT

Senator Chuck Schumer has described the Department of Homeland Security's new 'cyber alerts' as a magnet for phishing expeditions and virus writers.

On Wednesday the Department sprang into action and issued its first Cyber Alert - warning users of the "SCObig" virus that had been causing havoc with email systems since Sunday afternoon.

"Details about this new variant are still emerging, but it has been validated as spreading," the Homeland Security boffins told us yesterday, as most users were entered the fourth day of cleaning up after SCObig.

Alert may not be the right word for this class of information. Our dictionary defines alert as "to notify of approaching danger or action", rather than issue a post-facto reminder 72 hours after...